Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40489484›Full record

ArticlePloS one2025

"A PhD is just going to somehow break you": A qualitative study exploring the role of peer support for doctoral students.

Fiona Newlands, Tanvi Markan, Isabelle Pomfret, Emily Davey, Tom King, Anna Roach, Millie Wagstaff, Tom G Osborn, Roz Shafran, Polly Livermore and 3 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Fiona NewlandsGreat Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, Gower, London, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0003-3078-7281
Tanvi MarkanGreat Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, Gower, London, United Kingdom.ORCID 0009-0000-6605-3445
Isabelle PomfretGreat Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, Gower, London, United Kingdom.ORCID 0009-0000-5879-7559
Emily DaveyInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
Tom KingGreat Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, Gower, London, United Kingdom.
Anna RoachGreat Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, Gower, London, United Kingdom.
Millie WagstaffGreat Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, Gower, London, United Kingdom.
Tom G OsbornResearch Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, Torrington, London, United Kingdom.
Roz ShafranGreat Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, Gower, London, United Kingdom.
Polly LivermoreGreat Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, Gower, London, United Kingdom.
Michelle de HaanGreat Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, Gower, London, United Kingdom.
Jeanne WolstencroftGreat Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, Gower, London, United Kingdom.
Sophie BennettInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Doctoral (PhD) students experience high rates of mental health challenges, including high rates of anxiety, depression, loneliness, and isolation. While universities offer mental health services, these may not fully address the specific needs of doctoral students. Peer support has emerged as a promising adjunct to existing service provision, drawing on shared experiences to provide emotional and practical guidance. This study aimed to explore doctoral students' perceptions of peer support, identifying their needs and preferences for a peer support programme tailored to the doctoral experience. Nineteen doctoral students were recruited from a university in the south of England and participated in focus groups or semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis yielded four overarching themes: (1) Barriers to seeking support; (2) Value of peer support for doctoral students; (3) Tailored peer support needs; and (4) Diversity and accessibility. Findings indicate that doctoral students value peer support as a flexible, informal space to share experiences and gain advice from those with similar backgrounds. However, they also emphasised the need for diverse representation among peer supporters, adaptable training to meet neurodiverse needs, and formal recognition of peer supporters' contributions. Study findings suggest that universities should consider implementing tailored peer support programmes to address the specific challenges faced by doctoral students, incorporating flexibility, cultural sensitivity, and accessibility to create a supportive academic environment. Future research should evaluate the effectiveness of such programs in improving doctoral students' mental health and well-being.

Indexed as

Education, GraduatePeer GroupSocial SupportStudentsAdultEnglandFemaleFocus GroupsHumansMaleMental HealthQualitative ResearchUniversitiesYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID40489484
PMCPMC12148168

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.